I’ve been reading this book called ‘Human as Media’ (which I found through @david_perell) and WOW is this book slept on.
Seriously, an incredible read.
Seriously, an incredible read.
First chapter gets into the idea that human evolution can be seen through the lens of publishing advancements: from oral language to the printing press to the internet.
This evolution has worked on both an individual and communal level. We are becoming emancipated as thinkers.
This evolution has worked on both an individual and communal level. We are becoming emancipated as thinkers.
7th century — Writing is emancipated, no longer reserved for a specific class. Anyone can use the written word to communicate ideas!
15th century — Reading is emancipated, books are published en masse, and shockwaves of knowledge are created throughout the globe. Renaissance thinkers, including Leonardo Da Vinci, greatly benefited from this change!
21st century — Here we are, and things are changing again. Now we have the emancipation of AUTHORSHIP.
With writing we gained the power to be informed. With reading we gained the power to interpret. Now in a world where anyone can publish, we gain the power to truly speak.
With writing we gained the power to be informed. With reading we gained the power to interpret. Now in a world where anyone can publish, we gain the power to truly speak.
A 100 billion people have lived, but only a small fraction have been able to publish their ideas and spread them further than their own local communities.
How many incredible philosophers has the world known whose thoughts were extinguished because they couldn’t share them?
How many incredible philosophers has the world known whose thoughts were extinguished because they couldn’t share them?
There are 8 billion people in the world and thanks to social media a huge percentage are able to voice their opinions in a way that was impossible for all past generations.
AND YET!
“The tools that we believe make our lives easier simultaneously enslave us.”
AND YET!
“The tools that we believe make our lives easier simultaneously enslave us.”
The internet provides us with the ability to express ourselves like never before, but it also REQUIRES our participation. Up until this point it was fine to live your whole life without publishing anything, but now ‘socializing’ and ‘publishing’ are intrinsically linked together.
It’s wild to think about how this is true for anyone who uses the internet, even older generations.
My 90-year old grandmother posts to Facebook. My grandfather writes emails and comments on his children’s posts.
If you’re on the internet, you publish.
My 90-year old grandmother posts to Facebook. My grandfather writes emails and comments on his children’s posts.
If you’re on the internet, you publish.
On the internet no one truly just ‘consumes’ (although if you have twitter trolls, you wish they would). There are two billion people online, and they’re all publishing for a reason.
For connection. For reaction. For education. For communion.
What are you publishing for?
For connection. For reaction. For education. For communion.
What are you publishing for?
We publish not just to share information but to show one another that we matter. We aren’t satisfied informing or being informed. We want to create ripples, resonate with others, find community, and create change.
The emancipation of authorship is just beginning.
The emancipation of authorship is just beginning.
